Nina’s Book Club – September Suggestions

Yes, I posted an update - Fluke by Christopher Moore got the most votes.

You'd have a month.

Sorry about my typo the book is the "The Great Yacht Race"

I own Drowing Ruth too and have never read it.

I tried to get through Eat Pray Love twice and couldn't do it. I'm waiting for the movie. lol

Yeah, I loved that book. Weird that SHE'S such a psycho! I bought her third book, The Almost Moon, and gave it away after about three chapters. It's just horrible. And even though Lucky is autobiographical, it doesn't make me feel any empathy for her, I just hated it.

Can't wait to see the movie of The Lovely Bones though. And how they handle it!

I read Lucky too, but I liked it. I read the reviews on Almost Moon and it seemed too much for me...doesn't the character kill her mother or something? I can't wait for the movie either. I've seen the movie trailer and it looks great!

Yep, kills her mother (LONG overdue killing, for sure), but then proceeds to behave like a complete twat. It was embarrassing. Stupid book. Stupid Alice Sebold, who I can never forgive for that hour I'll never get back...

The movie of The Lovely Bones has got to be great - Peter Jackson, New Zealand - how can you go wrong???

I'm reading The Lovely Bones right now. I love it. I randomly picked it up at a thriftstore and bought it for $1.50. :) It's soooo good though.

I really like Barbara Kingsolver.

Joy Luck Club was a great book. I wouldn't mind reading it again. Any thing by Janet Evanovich would be great too.

We read The Time Traveler's Wife in Nina's myspace book club a few years ago. Excellent. Another of my faves. It would be a good choice since so many are seeing the movie.

What are they about?

Here are the descriptions:

THE RUSSIAN CONCUBINE
A sweeping novel set in war-torn 1928 China, with a star-crossed love story at its center. In a city full of thieves and Communists, danger and death, spirited young Lydia Ivanova has lived a hard life. Always looking over her shoulder, the sixteen-year-old must steal to feed herself and her mother, Valentina, who numbered among the Russian elite until Bolsheviks murdered most of them, including her husband. As exiles, Lydia and Valentina have learned to survive in a foreign land. Often, Lydia steals away to meet with the handsome young freedom fighter Chang An Lo. But they face danger: Chiang Kai Shek's troops are headed toward Junchow to kill Reds like Chang, who has in his possession the jewels of a tsarina, meant as a gift for the despot's wife. The young pair's all-consuming love can only bring shame and peril upon them, from both sides. Those in power will do anything to quell it. But Lydia and Chang are powerless to end it.

KUSHIEL'S DART
The land of Terre d'Ange is a place of unsurpassing beauty and grace. It is said that angels found the land and saw it was good...and the ensuing race that rose from the seed of angels and men live by one simple rule: Love as thou wilt. Phèdre nó Delaunay is a young woman who was born with a scarlet mote in her left eye. Sold into indentured servitude as a child, her bond is purchased by Anafiel Delaunay, a nobleman with very a special mission...and the first one to recognize who and what she is: one pricked by Kushiel's Dart, chosen to forever experience pain and pleasure as one. Phèdre is trained equally in the courtly arts and the talents of the bedchamber, but, above all, the ability to observe, remember, and analyze. Almost as talented a spy as she is courtesan, Phèdre stumbles upon a plot that threatens the very foundations of her homeland. Treachery sets her on her path; love and honor goad her further. And in the doing, it will take her to the edge of despair...and beyond. Hateful friend, loving enemy, beloved assassin; they can all wear the same glittering mask in this world, and Phèdre will get but one chance to save all that she holds dear. Set in a world of cunning poets, deadly courtiers, heroic traitors, and a truly Machiavellian villainess, this is a novel of grandeur, luxuriance, sacrifice, betrayal, and deeply laid conspiracies. Not since Dune has there been an epic on the scale of Kushiel's Dart -a massive tale about the violent death of an old age, and the birth of a new.

KUSHIEL'S CHOSEN (Which, to me, was even better than the first)
Mighty Kushiel, of rod and weal Late of the brazen portals With blood-tipp'd dart a wound unhealed Pricks the eyen of chosen mortals The land of Terre d'Ange is a place of unsurpassed beauty and grace. The inhabiting race rose from the seed of angels and men, and they live by one simple rule: Love as thou wilt. Phèdre nó Delaunay was sold into indentured servitude as a child. Her bond was purchased by a nobleman, the first to recognize that she is one pricked by Kushiel's Dart, chosen to forever experience pain and pleasure as one. He trained Phèdre in the courtly arts and the talents of the bedchamber--and, above all, the ability to observe, remember, and analyze. When she stumbled upon a plot that threatened the very foundations of her homeland, she gave up almost everything she held dear to save it. She survived, and lived to have others tell her story, and if they embellished the tale with fabric of mythical splendor, they weren't far off the mark. The hands of the gods weigh heavily upon Phèdre's brow, and they are not finished with her. While the young queen who sits upon the throne is well loved by the people, there are those who believe another should wear the crown... and those who escaped the wrath of the mighty are not yet done with their schemes for power and revenge.

Sorry it's so long, there is no way I could describe these books. Too much detail. These descriptions don't even do much justice.

Those books made me feel like a bloomin' idiot.

They intimidated the hell outta me, too. But once I started, I just could not put them down. And I don't read books like those often. I'll admit, I read more paranormal romance than anything else. Fluff with vampires.

The Russian Concubine didn't seem too bad.

Oh, another one!! I bought this book but haven't had time to get to it yet. It's called The Gunseller and it's written by Hugh Laurie. You know, Dr. House? That might be a good book club choice.

Oooh, that sounds promising!

You've been watching so much TV, you've referred to it as "reading" too much.

HAHAHAHAHHAAA! Damn, I need to do something else besides watch TV!

I have also been in meeting most of the day with one more to go. That might have something to with it......

That book sounds to dang serious. How about Bridget Jones???? j/k

Ishmael is an awesome book! It's not TOO serious but it makes you think. Kind of like "The Life of Pi" by Yann Martel. I suggest you read it even if it's not on the list for the book club. Ishmael is actually the beginning of a trilogy followed by "The Story of B" and "My Ishmael"; they're all worth a read :)

OK. Adding Julie & Julia to the list.